Rules on the course
Foursomes Wrong Order: Penalties and the Next Player
In foursomes, the next player is determined by strokes and the rule that applies, not by counting every penalty as a turn.
Competitive Play · Updated October 22, 2026
Ava tees off; what does Ben do next?
Original competition case file
Ava tees off; what does Ben do next?Which facts apply?
CASE 01
Penalty relief
Ava’s tee shot needs stroke-and-distance relief.
Ben makes the next stroke; the penalty did not consume his turn.
CASE 02
Provisional ball
The side needs a provisional after Ava’s tee shot.
The partner due to play the side’s next stroke plays it.
CASE 03
Ava wrongly plays again
Ava makes the next stroke when it is Ben’s turn.
In stroke play, Ben must correct from the first wrong-order location, with the general penalty.
Fictional cases with stated assumptions. Event terms and the full official rule control; no actual ruling or course adoption is represented.
The short version
- Partners alternate teeing first on successive holes.
- Penalty strokes do not change whose turn is next.
- Stroke-play wrong order must be corrected before the deadline.
Write the player beside each actual stroke
Use a fictional card with two columns: stroke made and partner. Ava makes stroke 1. Add a penalty in a separate penalty column. Ben still makes the next actual stroke. A score total is useful for the hole, but alternating identity requires its own record.
Either partner may take permitted pre-stroke actions such as dropping or placing for the side. The person carrying out relief is therefore not proof of whose turn it is to strike the next ball.
Replay and wrong order are different events
When a stroke is cancelled, replayed or otherwise does not count, the same partner normally makes the next stroke under Rule 22.3. The wrong-order breach is expressly treated differently.
In stroke play, the correct partner must play from where the first wrong-order stroke was made. The wrong-order stroke and subsequent strokes solely with that ball are disregarded, while the applicable general penalty remains. Missing the correction deadline leads to disqualification.
Start the next hole with the planned partner
The side alternates who plays first from each hole’s teeing area. A long chain of penalties on the previous hole does not change that teeing order. Check the event terms for who must start the round and the special presence requirement for the partner playing second.
Do not confuse the format with four-ball or a shamble. Those games keep different ball and scoring structures.
Official sources
Official provisions checked October 22, 2026. Read their full wording and current event conditions.
Your next move
Read the governing source
Check the complete official procedure and your event conditions before acting.
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